Neville A. Chandler Jr. (born Oct. 2, 1946 in Lakewood, Ohio—died August 7, 1994 in Rocky River, Ohio) was a Cleveland, Ohio-area sports broadcaster. Chandler graduated from Rocky River High School and, in 1968, Northwestern University. In the 1970s, he worked for several television stations in Ohio and sometimes hosted a sports talk show on WWWE-AM. From 1980 to 1984, Chandler served as WWWE's sports director and teamed with Herb Score on Cleveland Indians radio broadcasts. In 1985, he moved to television station WEWS as sports director and sports anchor. He was best-known for calling play-by-play for the Cleveland Browns from 1985 to 1993, a time during which the team made the playoffs five straight years. He had no real catch phrase, save maybe for counting down "5-4-3-2-1-touchdown!" as a Browns player ticked off the last few yards before a score. Chandler was a true fan of the team but did not hesitate to criticize his employers, especially when coach Bill Belichick persisted in running speedy halfback Eric Metcalf up the middle. However, the quality of Chandler's broadcasts and the excitement of his voice made him a fan favorite and a regular choice for the soundtrack of NFL Films productions. The title of NFL Films' movie about the 1986 Browns, Pandemonium Palace, comes from Chandler's call of the team's double-overtime playoff win over the New York Jets. Chandler died of colon cancer in 1994. He is buried in Lakewood Park Cemetery in Rocky River.
External links
- "Nev Chandler a fan to the last" by Terry Pluto, Akron Beacon Journal Nov. 18, 2002.
- Entry in Encyclopedia of Cleveland History.
